Sidhu resigns from RS, jolts BJP ahead of poll
Tuesday, 19/07/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=161275&boxid=63231&uid=&dat=2016-07-19
Chandigarh : In what comes as a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, which was accepted by the Upper House chairman Hamid Ansari. It has been learnt that Sidhu and his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, a sitting BJP MLA from an Amritsar seat and firebrand critic of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance, are all set to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sidhu’s resignation comes only about three months after his nomination by the Central government to the Upper House on April 22 this year.
Top AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Singh Mann welcomed Sidhu’s decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha but parried questions whether he would join the party and become its CM face. In a brief statement on his resignation, Sidhu, however, did not reveal much about his future plans but there were indications that he was miffed with the state of affairs in his party.
BJP will function as usual: Vijay SAmpla
Chandigarh: Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla on Monday said that cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu did not take the party into confidence before resigning from the Rajya Sabha and asserted the party will not be affected adversely even if he joins AAP. “They did not (Navjot Singh Sidhu, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu) inform me about their decision. As far as I know they have not informed about their move to the BJP high-command,” Sampla said, adding the BJP is all set to perform much better in the coming poll.
Punjab’s interest paramount: Sidhu
New Delhi: In a statement Navjot Singh Sidhu said: “At the behest of the honourable PM, I had accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination for the welfare of punjab. With the closure of every window leading to Punjab the purpose stands defeated. It is now a mere burden. I prefer not to carry it.”
“In the war of right or wrong, you can’t afford to be neutral rather than being self-centered. Punjab’s interest is paramount,” said the 52-year-old former cricketer-turned politician, who had represented Amritsar in the Lok Sabha between 2004 and 2014. Sources said that Sidhu has been miffed with the party ever since he made way for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
A courageous move: Sanjay
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday welcomed BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s decision to quit from the Rajya Sabha and opened its doors to the cricketer-turned-politician to join its ranks, signalling an imminent churning ahead of next year’s Punjab Assembly polls. Within minutes of Sidhu’s resignation, AAP’s Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and AAP state in-charge Sanjay Singh hailed Sidhu’s ‘courageous’ decision and said the party was ‘looking forward’ to welcome him. DP
Resignation not to impact ensuing elections: Sukhbir
Fatehgarh Sahib: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here on Monday claimed that the resignations tendered by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and ‘Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu’ would have no impact on the SAD-BJP alliance. Replying to a question, Deputy Chief Minister said that whether Sidhu couple goes to the Aam Aadmi Party or khaas aadmi party, it would have no bearing on the outcome of the results of assembly polls next year.
Not a surprise: amarinder
CHANDIGARH: PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said that Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha was already a foregone conclusion as he had been left with little options. “With someone in his situation pushed to the wall by the Akalis and his own party maintaining a conniving silence, Sidhu was left with little option other than resigning,” he said. “Sidhu may have resigned from the RS only today, but we all know he had virtually withdrawn from the active politics for a long time,” he added.
